Patient Stories

Jennifer Ryan

Orthopedics

Jennifer Ryan is an active woman in her late 40's and the mother of
two sons, one in high school and one in college. She is also a Physical
Therapist, Orthopedic Certified Specialist. When she was 12 years old,
Jennifer developed the hip degenerating disease, Legg-Calvé-Perthes
syndrome. Her father, an orthopedic surgeon himself, discovered it.

While most teenagers were playing sports and having fun, Jennifer was
undergoing multiple surgeries, having seven by the time she was 21. Then
in 2004, she had a Left Posterior Hip Replacement. This was the traditional
posterior approach at that time but since it cut through her ligaments
and muscle so significantly, she had to use crutches for eight years.

In 2010, the pain in her right hip increased and it became apparent that
she needed surgery for her "workhorse leg" as she calls it.
As a professional in the field of orthopedics, Jennifer knew exciting
advances had been made since her previous surgeries. She believed she'd
be an ideal candidate for an Anterior Hip Replacement, a relatively new
and far less invasive surgical procedure.

She chose
Don Sanders, M.D., a board certified orthopedic surgeon affiliated with Torrance Memorial
to perform her surgery. She recounts, "Based on my own research and
many recommendations from other physical therapists and physician-friends,
I found that Dr. Sanders did a lot of these procedures and had great results.
Everyone thought very highly of him."

Recalling her initial discussion with Dr. Sanders, she adds, "From
the moment I met him, he put me at ease and gave me his undivided attention
which added greatly to my comfort. I knew immediately, he was the right
guy for the job."

In August, 2011 Jennifer underwent surgery and she recalls the outstanding
personalized care. "There happened to be a lot of surgeries scheduled
that day so they personally escorted me to a different intake area. What
I noticed most was the communication; they kept me in the loop every step
of the way so there were no surprises." She adds, "Torrance
Memorial even has a special operating table just for this particular type
of surgery."

Jennifer has high-praise for all of the healthcare professionals and staff
involved in her care, before, during and after her surgery at Torrance
Memorial. She says, "From the nurses, to the technicians to the physical
therapists, everyone was terrific! It was fabulous, very warm and nurturing.
I always felt like an active participant in my care."

Elaborating on her hospital stay, she says, "It's a wonderful
place. I was treated very well and after surgery, I was given a beautiful
room. It was very comforting and all very well done. And they had no idea
I was a health professional or that my family's name was well-known
within the healthcare community." Her [now-late] father was once
on staffTorrance Memorial.

Jennifer gives high marks to Torrance Memorial for their outstanding professionalism,
including staying in contact with her general practitioner's office.
She says, "When they needed information from my doctor's office,
they said, 'You don't have to worry about it. We'll take care
of everything.' They stayed on it. They were fantastic!"

Now well into a successful recovery, Jennifer visits Dr. Sanders every
six months to make sure everything is okay. Compared to her earlier surgeries,
Jennifer says that her recovery was much quicker and less painful. She
has a four-to-five inch scar, which is minimal compared to those from
her previous surgeries. She happily shares, "I'm back into running
three miles, three times a week and improving my gait and physical abilities.
Sometimes, I even wear high heels,that's something I couldn't
do since 2010."

She concludes, "I feel very fortunate to have such a wonderful hospital
in my community." When asked if she'd recommend Torrance Memorial
to a friend, she states, "Absolutely! I already have."